in case i missed it, how does one keep track of a handicap? i am new to golf and some things a really understand and somethings i'm still learning. this is my second year of playing golf as a golfer (well still a hacker) but actually trying and playing by all the rules or as many as i know and to the best i can interpret them. i'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with just keeping track of your score and what you avg. from what i understood the little i heard about it is it also involves course difficulty. all that being said how does one keep a handicap? i would like to have one although i'm sure it will be high but i would like to be able to track my progress.

in case i missed it, how does one keep track of a handicap? i am new to golf and some things a really understand and somethings i'm still learning. this is my second year of playing golf as a golfer (well still a hacker) but actually trying and playing by all the rules or as many as i know and to the best i can interpret them. i'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with just keeping track of your score and what you avg. from what i understood the little i heard about it is it also involves course difficulty. all that being said how does one keep a handicap? i would like to have one although i'm sure it will be high but i would like to be able to track my progress.

well all you gotta do is

-keep score of your strokes when you are playing a hole at the golf course

-at the end of the 18 holes you have finished scorecard -let your playing partner sign it etc...

-calculate the hcp from your scorecards

-you need to read the mathematical formula for calculating the hcp in USGA style (calculating hcp works rather diferently in different countries!!!)

-return all the scorecards to your A) home course B) home golf club, OF WHICH YOU ARE MEMBER.

-I'm pretty sure you must have a specific registered home course / golf club membership, through which your calculated hcp is entered into the network on a computer or something.

.....and you'll have an official, GHIN handicap. There is no calculating, signing of scorecards, returning scorecards to the club, or any such things required, you simply enter your scores for the courses you play as you play them. You can even get a nifty little GHIN app for your smart phone and manage your rounds right from the phone. It takes no more than 30 seconds to enter a round once it's complete.

Dropped two tenths this revision to 7.6. Next revision should be interesting. I probably average between zero and one round per revision, and I've got 4 coming up in the next 12 days or so. Next round will knock out my second best differential in my last 20, but the following 3 are all freebies.

Join the "public player program" and you need not belong to a club and scores may be entered on-line and via smart phone, just like in the U.S.

thats awesome, thanks so much Dave!!! like i said this is only my second year actually playing golf but it would be nice to see how i progress (against myself) i'm not expecting single digits or anything like like but it would be nice to see if in fact i get better (by how much) stay roughly the same or find i'm getting worse...i hope the last one does not factor in. but thanks again and i will be sure to look into it. very much appreciated!!!